Are female martial arts masters as rare as they seem? Or are their numbers proportionate to those of female students? I don’t know the answer, but if I had to guess, here are some of the factors I would consider.

The Strength-Sensitivity Paradox

Paraphrasing Mark Twain, a martial art is something that everyone wants to know, but nobody wants to learn. The learning is arduous, occasionally painful and frequently embarrassing.

Having reached the limit of their endurance, students are sometimes tempted to abandon the principal objective, and start playing to win instead of investing in loss. Practically speaking, this means using strength and speed to “fill in the gaps”, or compensate for inferior technique. [Read more →]

With his proclamation Cogito ergo sum, Descartes set the stage upon which most Western philosophers have played for the last four hundred years. Under his model, the human being is composed of two distinct entities: mind and body. Some thinkers agree, and others disagree, but few challenge the validity of the model itself, and its silent implication that nothing lies between.

Following George Orwell’s advice, I will begin by stating the obvious: East Asian martial arts training was never meant to be performed within this framework.

Although Descartes’ model allowed for each aspect to influence the other, he did not recognize the full breadth and depth of the mind-body relationship. So, like the atomic model of physics failed to explain observable and repeatable quantum phenomena, Descartes’ atomic metaphysics obscures the potential of high-level martial arts. When authentic traditional training is reformatted to fit into the duelistic model, the result is typically and predictably Bull-shido.

Theory and Application, and Nothing More

Two tragic outcomes result from the application of duelistic mind-body theory to martial training. First, the Complete Martial Art is defined as one containing both Theory and Application—and where Theory is given undue precedence. [Read more →]

With thousands of martial arts authorities publishing online and in print, how do you decide whom to trust, and whom to ignore? Credibility is an important factor, but determining a martial artist’s credentials is a perilous task.

Frankie Chan vs. Lam Ching-Ying

Since crossing hands in a duel can lead to serious injury or death, most sane martial artists look for alternative means of establishing credibility. Lineage reputation is one such method.

Great masters beget great masters, whereas the students of charlatans go nowhere. Under this Confucian-flavored principle, the martial disciple inherits a portion of their master’s reputation, and would-be authority figures that decline to identify their lineage are viewed with suspicion.

Lineage is indeed a useful heuristic, in my experience. Yet here I am, writing a weekly martial arts column, without providing a list of my teachers; and I do not accept challenge matches; I am not even Asian. How cheeky!

The absence of my declared martial pedigree is no oversight. [Read more →]

Reader and contributor Rick Matz tagged me to participate in the 7 things pyramid scheme writing project.

The rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
• Share 7 random or weird things about yourself.
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here we go… [Read more →]

Photo Credit: Bene16

As a busy software developer and martial art hobbyist, I rarely have enough time to entertain the proposals, projects and invitations I receive from fellow bloggers.

Of the time I can spare, I have dedicated a good percentage to outspoken criticism of martial arts excesses, leading some traditionalists to ask why I bother at all.

Today, I shall kill two birds with one stone: I am starting a meme dedicated to taking myself down a notch. [Read more →]

Born without the gift of sight, Raymond Thiberge’s disability proved to be one of his greatest strengths. 

During his lessons with expert pianists, Raymond used his refined senses of touch and hearing to compensate for his blindness.  Listening to his teachers’ instructions and following their hands, he made a critical observation that his fellow students missed.

The experts did not follow their own advice.  [Read more →]

I prefer not to play Tai Chi at home. Each of the Five Directions holds an unwelcome distraction. Look left: unpaid bills. Gaze right: a pile of laundry. Whenever possible, I head to a local park instead, where the sunshine, fresh air, and vibrancy of nature provide a pleasant environment for practice.

I have practiced outside daily for years, and I would recommend it to anyone, with one caveat: you need to know how to handle your audience. Here are a few tips to keep you safe and out of trouble. [Read more →]

A contractual relationship with your martial arts school could end miserably; former classmates and I know this from experience.  Despite this experience, I believe that the potential benefits of a contract to the student outweigh the risks. 

Before I explain the benefit, let me tell you the tale of an Aikido dojo gone sour. [Read more →]

This is a continuation of Give Thanks to Your Blogging Inspirations.

From the All Marketers Are Liars Blog

Until recently, I had no interest in marketing.  Like so many other scientists and engineers, I considered marketing a necessary evil, unworthy of my own efforts. 

[Read more →]

In the spirit of the holiday season, I would like to show my gratitude and give thanks to some of the inspirations for this blog… [Read more →]